Emlyn Hughes

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
10-01-1910
N/A
31-08-1936
Llanelli RUFC Wales
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
05-09-1936 v Widnes
Warrington
1938- Huddersfield
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1936-1938
71 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
16
5
0
58

Biography of Emlyn Hughes



HERITAGE NO : 447
Emlyn Hughes by Alex Service

It is quite true to say that Emlyn Hughes came from a distinguished sporting family. His brother, Fred, played rugby league for Barrow and Workington and represented his native Wales for good measure. Fred's son, Emlyn, went on to become a famous soccer player with Liverpool and England.

Emlyn Hughes (the elder) signed for Saints at the start of the 1936-37 season. The St. Helens Newspaper gave the details of his signing as follows: "Hughes is 22 years of age and comes from a footballing family. His two brothers are both well-known in rugby circles in South Wales. One will play for Cheltenham this season, where Emlyn would have played had he not gone to St. Helens. He is a native of Aberavon and previous to assisting Llanelli he played with a smart Welsh junior side Llanelli Dock Stars."

Apparently, Emlyn had played in a trial match for Welsh rugby union selection and was unlucky not to have been picked. The Newspaper describes him as being exceptionally fast, with a remarkably safe pair of hands and a deadly tackler, just what the Saints' pack needed at the time. It must be remembered that the club was beginning to rebuild after financial constraints forced them to sell off their big stars, such as Alf Ellaby and Jack Arkwright in the early 1930s.

Recorder in the St. Helens Reporter described Emlyn's first team debut, against Widnes, at Knowsley Road as an unqualified success: "St. Helens have found a pack leader at last. Hughes strips very much like a cross between our old stars Lou Hutt and Albert Fildes and has the same colouring." He could also dribble the ball in the rugby union style, reminiscent of former Saints' forwards Percy Coldrick and Fred Roffey. "But it was the solid virtue of his work around the scrum that suited me," added Recorder.

Saints had lost their first game of the season at Widnes 28-0. They won this, their second by a margin of 2-0. The inclusion of Hughes must have had a most positive effect on the team as a whole! Emlyn went on to make 34 appearances during the campaign and showed he could score tries and, if needed, bang over the occasional goal. His last match for the club was at the start of the 1938-39 season, against Warrington, before he was transferred to Huddersfield. It seems that once again money was the key issue. The Saints were in severe financial difficulties and almost joined the Recs in oblivion as a professional club at one stage. As for Emlyn, he became a Welsh international whilst with the Fartowners although he did manage to play one more game for the Saints, at Barrow, during the war years. But that's another story. Outside rugby Emlyn moved to London in the late 1930s and operated as a Tank Assembler. He was living in Hampton Lane, Felton, Middlesex at the time. He stayed in the Big Smoke and died in Ealing in December 1980, aged 70.



SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1936~376 4 0 34
1937~389 1 0 36
1938~39 1 0 0 1
1943~44 0 0 0 1
TOTALS:16 5 0 72
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
TOTALS:

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
5th Sep 1936 1
W
 11 Widnes L H 2 0 VIEW
12th Sep 1936 2
W
 11 Liverpool Stanley LC1 A 14 3 VIEW
19th Sep 1936 3
D
 11 Leigh L H 4 4 1 VIEW
23rd Sep 1936 4
L
 11 St. Helens Recs LC2 A 4 10 VIEW
3rd Oct 1936 5
D
 11 Warrington L H 3 3 VIEW
10th Oct 1936 6
D
 11 Halifax L A 13 13 VIEW
17th Oct 1936 7
L
 11 Streatham and Mitcham L H 5 15 VIEW
24th Oct 1936 8
D
 11 Rochdale Hornets L A 5 5 VIEW
31st Oct 1936 9
L
 11 Leigh L A 9 13 VIEW
7th Nov 1936 10
L
 11 Oldham L H 7 16 1 VIEW
12th Dec 1936 11
L
 13 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 13 19 1 VIEW
19th Dec 1936 12
W
 11 Newcastle L A 15 8 3 VIEW
25th Dec 1936 13
W
 11 St. Helens Recs L H 4 0 VIEW
26th Dec 1936 14
L
 11 Wigan L H 2 21 VIEW
1st Jan 1937 15
L
 11 St. Helens Recs L A 3 10 VIEW
2nd Jan 1937 16
L
 11 Broughton Rangers L A 5 23 VIEW
9th Jan 1937 17
W
 11 Dewsbury L H 32 5 VIEW
14th Jan 1937 18
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L H 11 5 VIEW
16th Jan 1937 19
L
 11 Barrow L H 2 15 VIEW
23rd Jan 1937 20
W
 11 Featherstone Rovers L A 11 6 VIEW
6th Feb 1937 21
L
 11 Liverpool Stanley L A 8 21 VIEW
13th Feb 1937 22
L
 12 Huddersfield CC1 H 4 11 VIEW
18th Feb 1937 23
W
 12 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 9 2 1 VIEW
20th Feb 1937 24
W
 12 Featherstone Rovers L H 32 2 VIEW
27th Feb 1937 25
L
 12 Bramley L A 7 10 VIEW
6th Mar 1937 26
L
 12 Swinton L H 2 6 VIEW
13th Mar 1937 27
W
 12 Halifax L H 19 0 VIEW
20th Mar 1937 28
L
 12 Barrow L A 5 34 VIEW
26th Mar 1937 29
L
 12 Wigan L A 3 16 VIEW
27th Mar 1937 30
L
 12 Warrington L A 11 19 VIEW
29th Mar 1937 31
W
 12 Broughton Rangers L H 15 5 VIEW
3rd Apr 1937 32
L
 12 Swinton L A 5 15 1 VIEW
19th Apr 1937 33
L
 12 Liverpool Stanley L H 3 5 VIEW
24th Apr 1937 34
W
 12 Newcastle L H 41 10 2 VIEW
28th Aug 1937 35
W
 11 Widnes L H 11 7 1 VIEW
2nd Sep 1937 36
W
 11 Broughton Rangers L H 7 6 VIEW
4th Sep 1937 37
L
 11 Widnes L A 2 14 VIEW
11th Sep 1937 38
L
 11 Broughton Rangers LC1 H 0 11 VIEW
25th Sep 1937 39
W
 11 Bramley L H 18 9 1 VIEW
2nd Oct 1937 40
W
 11 Dewsbury L A 18 7 VIEW
9th Oct 1937 41
W
 11 Oldham L H 4 3 VIEW
16th Oct 1937 42
D
 11 Batley L A 10 10 VIEW
23rd Oct 1937 43
D
 11 Featherstone Rovers L H 16 16 VIEW
30th Oct 1937 44
L
 13 Rochdale Hornets L A 11 17 VIEW
6th Nov 1937 45
L
 11 Warrington L H 7 25 VIEW
20th Nov 1937 46
L
 11 Liverpool Stanley L A 7 9 VIEW
27th Nov 1937 47
L
 11 Salford L H 0 31 VIEW
11th Dec 1937 48
L
 12 Barrow L H 7 8 1 VIEW
25th Dec 1937 49
W
 12 St. Helens Recs L A 10 2 VIEW
27th Dec 1937 50
L
 12 Wigan L H 6 15 VIEW
1st Jan 1938 51
W
 12 St. Helens Recs L H 8 3 1 VIEW
3rd Jan 1938 52
L
 12 Salford L A 5 12 VIEW
8th Jan 1938 53
W
 12 Bramley L A 24 14 1 VIEW
15th Jan 1938 54
W
 12 Dewsbury L H 11 5 2 VIEW
22nd Jan 1938 55
D
 12 Leigh L A 10 10 VIEW
29th Jan 1938 56
W
 12 Swinton L H 10 2 VIEW
5th Feb 1938 57
L
 12 York L H 15 19 1 VIEW
12th Feb 1938 58
W
 12 York L A 7 2 VIEW
19th Feb 1938 59
W
 12 Pendlebury Juniors CC1 H 39 0 VIEW
26th Feb 1938 60
L
 12 Halifax L H 13 17 VIEW
5th Mar 1938 61
L
 12 Halifax L A 8 19 VIEW
12th Mar 1938 62
L
 12 Castleford CC2 A 2 18 VIEW
19th Mar 1938 63
L
 12 Warrington L A 8 28 VIEW
26th Mar 1938 64
L
 12 Broughton Rangers L A 12 19 VIEW
2nd Apr 1938 65
W
 12 Batley L H 15 9 1 VIEW
4th Apr 1938 66
L
 12 Swinton L A 0 19 VIEW
13th Apr 1938 67
L
 12 Barrow L A 13 29 VIEW
15th Apr 1938 68
L
 12 Wigan L A 12 27 1 VIEW
16th Apr 1938 69
L
 12 Liverpool Stanley L H 4 17 VIEW
30th Apr 1938 70
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L H 36 13 VIEW
31st Aug 1938 71
L
 12 Warrington L H 7 20 1 VIEW
2nd Oct 1943 72
L
 12 Barrow WEL A 10 31 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 26 | LOSSES : 39 | DRAWS : 7




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